Concrete block and wall construction.



J. J. SLEEPER.

CONCRETE BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 5, 1908.

Patented May 31, 1910.

5141mm L/Zmpiuf dies r762 attopnup rice.

.rosnrna. snnnrna, or MOORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

- CONCRETE BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Iietters Patent. Patented lilay 31, 1910.

Application" filed November 5, 190a. sen-arm. 461,152.

- I To all whom it may concern} useful Improvements in Concrete Blockand Wall Construction,

is a specification.

My present invention-relates to certain new and useful improvements inconcrete wall constructions and has for its objects to provide a novelform of facingblock and a novel manner of arranging said blocks inconjunction with a concrete filling whereby to provide a solid orhomogeneous wall structure, without the employment of molds such as arenow commonly used.

One purpose of the invention is to provide a novel and a simpleconstruction of concrete facing block, suitably reinforced and having afinished outer face, and, what may be termed a rough orunfinished innerface, the construction being such that when the blocks are arranged inparallel tiers with an intermediate filling, a solid or homogeneous wallstructure will be formed.

Another purpose of the invention is to form, in a simple and expeditiousmanner,

. air spaces in the wall structure, adjacent the cording to thepresentinvention. Fig. 2 1s a perspective View looking at the inner orunfinished side of one of my improved concrete facing blocks, the cornerprojections being cut away to show the corner reinforcing means. Fig. 3is a top plan view of one of my improved blocks having an additional ,orcentral rib or projection and reinforce. Fig.4 is a transverse sectionalview of a concrete girder made from facing blocks constructed accordingto this invention. F 1g. 5 is a transversesectional view of a facingblock made according to my invention and designed for use in buildingconcrete columns.

- I Referring to the drawing, the reference of which the following face7, of the block may be finished as de sired to represent cut or dressedstone while the inner face 8 is rough or unfinished (irregularlysurfaced) in order that a better and stronger union may be had with theconcrete filling hereinafter to be described. Each block is provided onits inner face, at the four corners, with corner-projections 9, each ofwhich corner-projections is rough or unfinished as shown and suitablyreinforced by means of anglepieces 10, which may or may not be exposedthrough the ends of the projections, but having, however, their anglefaces extending in approximate parallelism with the faces of the cornerprojections.

Blocks constructed as shown and described and built up in a wallstructure, will unite closely and solidly with the concrete filling toform a solid and homogeneous wall.

As will be seen by an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the block has thegeneral appearance of a block the periphery of which is in the form of arearwardly extending peripheral flange recessed intermediate the inter-'alinement with the remainder of the inner face of the block,.while therecesses at the ends are not as deep, thus providing that the end wallsor flanges form a barrier against a connection of the filling materialbetween adjacent blocks equal in cross sectional area to that betweenthe recessed portions of op posing blocks, the recesses also beingirregularly surfaced as indicated. By this construction the blocks maybe arranged in superposed rows without placing in a vertical plane ofthe inner face any overhanging ledges or projecting faces exceptingthose of the corner pieces and the portions leading from the cornerprojections to the recessed portions, with the result that the fillingmaterial may be placed in position without the requirement of a tampingof the material throughout the length of the block,

throughout as much of the wall as is de-.

by the opposing direction 'in the finished wall.

such tamping being required only at the corner projections, and therecesses providing for an extended space within which to operate duringthe tamping operation, so that where the thickness of the wall formedblocks and the filling -is such as to provide but little space betweenthe opposite facing blocksv no diiticulty will be had in causing thefilling material to, be properly tamped within-the corner projections,the tamping tool being operable in a in approximate parallelism with theface of the block. Furthermore, the irregularly-surfaced end recessespractically form keys against a raising movement of the block when thefilling material is in position, joints so that the corner projection isembedded in the filling material in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

In cases where the blocks are of unusual dimensions, I contemplateproviding them with a central. transverse projection 12 as shown in Fig.3, said projection having embedded therein a T-sha'ped reinforce 13, ofslashed or other expanded metal. The central projection will be maderough or unfinished on its inner face as is the case with the cornerprojections.

. If desired each block may have embedded therein one or morechannel-irons or pieces 1 1, as shown, in order to provide air-spacespreferably project beyond one edge of the block as at 15, in order thatthe end of one of such channel pieces may enter the end of a similarpiece carried by a superposed block whereby to provide continuous airspaces sired. Or, instead of forming or embedding the channel-pieces 15,directly in the facing blocks, they may be removablyarranged during theconstruction of the wall and used as molds. It will be obviousthat-thechannel'pieces in either instance may be positioned as desired and anynumber may be used depending upon the air-spaces required.

In building up a wall structure with my improved facing blocks, thelatter are first laid in parallel tiers as shown in Fig. 1, and

- if desired they may be connected by crossing or otherwise arrangedtie-wires 16, and the concrete filling l7 isthen run or tamped in thespace between the two tiers of blocks. Owing to the fact that the innerfaces of the blocks are rough or unfinished and by reason .of thereinforced cornerprpjections on the blocks, it will be apparent that thefinding its way into all the concrete. filling,

as it does, will form crevices and interstices,

a close unionv with the'facingblocks and a Solid. and homogeneousconcrete wall struc- .turev will be provided. By the employment offacing-blocks, which in themselves serve as the confining molds for theconcrete fillthe blocks being laid with break The channel pieces acylindrical column ing,'I am able to dispense with the wooden molds nowordinarily employed in constructand greatly facilitating and expeditingthis class of work.

As beforestated, the air-spaces may be formed by channel pieces 14,embedded di rectly in the facing-blocks, or these channelmg concretewalls thus reducing the cost pieces may be placed in position during thebuilding of the wall and then withdrawn or as the wall simply drawn upstep-by-step progresses and the filling sets sufiiciently to enable thisto be done. p

In Fig. 4: of the accompanying drawing, I show a transverse sectionalview of a'concrete reinforced girder made according to my invention. Theconcrete facing blocks 5 are constructed precisely like those employedin building a, wall, the blocks being I arranged end to end in parallelrows as shown and between the two rows of blocks is supported, in anysuitable manner, an iron girder or beam 18, preferably, but notnecessarily, of I-shape in cross-section. The soft concrete filling 20,is then run or tamped in the spaces between the beam or girder and innerfaces of the facing blocks and allowed to set or harden, it beingunderstood that the I -beam is preferably entirely covered with theconcrete, not only upon opposite sides but upon the top and; bottom asshown.

During construction the iron girder orbeam 2 may besupported by blocksor otherwise' to bring it. to between the facing blocks 5, and thesaidsupporting blocks may afterward be left em-' bedded in the concretefilling or removed and the spaces filled with. concrete. These girdersmay be conveniently the floor and then hoisted and set in positioninstead girder isto be placed. p In building columns according tomy-invention, the facing blocks aremade semicylindrical incross-section'asshown at 21,

Fig. 5, each-block being provided with endprojections 2:2,.and one ormore [central ribs 23. The. outer face of the block is finished ordressed while the inner face is roughor unfinished, and any suitablereinforcing ma terial is used to strengthen the thin walls of the blockas well as the ribs and projections;

constructed on I I of building ascalfold wh-erethe the proper elevatedposition i- These blocks are arranged. in .pairs to make sired height.If desired, a metal or other reinforcing core'Qi may be set verticallyin the column and the space between the blocks filled in with concrete."The core 21' may or may not be used and built up to the dev as desired.In making semi-cylindrical columns, the blocks are set i one upon theother end to end, as in building 1 a cylindrical column. Of course.theouter face of the blocks may be grooved or orna-- mented as desired.

It will be manifest that walls or columns parallel tiers of facingblocks With corner projections, a filling of concrete material betweenthe tiers of blocks in which the corner projections are embedded, andseparate channel strips for each, row of blocks of the Wall embedded inthe wall to provide air spaces, the strips of one row registering withthe strips of the succeeding row. 1 i

9. A facing block for concretewalls, comprising a concrete shell, andachannel iron having longitudinal edges arranged transversely of theblock and havlng said edges partially embedded in the inner facethereof.

10. A facing block for concrete walls, comprising a concrete shell, anda channel iron having longitudinal edges arranged transversely of theshell and extending across said shell and having said edges partiallyembedded in the inner face of the shell, one

end of the channel iron projecting beyond the edge of the shell.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH J. SLEEPER.

Witnesses: v v

URSULA G. HclllANUs, HENRY J. \VALTER.

